Politics

ZAGREB, July 28, 2019 - Intensifying cooperation with local and regional government units and updating records of state-owned real estate are some of the priorities of the newly-appointed Minister of State Assets, Mario Banožić. "One of the first steps will be to intensify cooperation with local and regional government units, primarily because we have over 7,500 requests from them. By dealing with these requests, we will help counties, towns and municipalities in their investment cycles and activities," Banožić told Hina in an interview. He said he expected assistance from local government units in registering state-owned real estate in their areas.…

ZAGREB, July 28, 2019 - A political rally and a counter-rally were held in Donji Srb on Saturday, the former by the Serb National Council (SNV), the SABA antifascist alliance and Gračac Municipality to mark the Partisan uprising by the people of the Lika region, and the latter, held behind police barricades, by the non-parliamentary Autochthonous Croatian Party of Rights (A-HSP). Zadar police reported no major incidents and no arrests. SNV president Boris Milošević said to those downplaying the significance of the rally and disrupting it that it "only celebrates the uprising of the people of Croatia", which he said…

ZAGREB, July 27, 2019 - Croatian Army Lance Corporal Josip Briški, who was killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan earlier this week, was buried with the highest military honours at Markovo Polje cemetery in Zagreb's eastern district of Sesvete on Saturday. The funeral was attended by his family and friends, Defence Minister Damir Krstičević, Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Mirko Šundov and Army personnel, the Defence Ministry said in a press release. The funeral rite was led by Military Ordinary Jure Bogdan. Briški, aged 27, was a member of the 10th Croatian contingent in NATO's Resolute Support mission…

ZAGREB, July 27, 2019 - Croatia has received as yet unofficial information from the European Commission that it has met all technical requirements for accession to the Schengen area, Večernji List newspaper said on Saturday, citing diplomatic sources. Zagreb has received signals from the European Commission that the evaluation of the last of the eight chapters of the Schengen acquis will pass well, the newspaper said. An official confirmation of Croatia's readiness is expected most likely in the second half of September, after the Commission's summer recess. In order for Croatia to actually join the passport-free travel area, the decision…

ZAGREB, July 27, 2019 - The Social Democratic Party's (SDP) candidate for President of the Republic, Zoran Milanović, said on Friday that the latest government measures to reduce income tax for people under the age of 30 and lower the VAT rate on tourism services were not a tax reform. "Something that is done in four steps cannot be a reform. This is just sounding out the situation and it need not end badly. I can understand some of the things that have been done and I welcome them as a continuation of what was begun in January and February…

ZAGREB, July 27, 2019 - Newly-appointed Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said on Friday that Croatia was ready for the presidency of the EU, estimating that the presidency would cost the state about €70 million. In his first press conference since stepping into office and succeeding Marija Pejčinović Burić, who has been elected as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Grlić Radman said that the ministry and media needed to be partners and underscored that he would be more open to the media. "The public has the right to information and we wish to truly work…

As Index writes on the 26th of July, 2019, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Finance Minister Zdravko Marić presented the fourth round of tax reforms for the mandate of the current government today, which in their words brings a total tax relief of 3.75 billion kuna. At the beginning of the presentation of the contours of the fourth round of tax reforms, the PM recalled that "his government started with the policy of relief for the economy and citizens from the very beginning", N1 reports. "In the fourth round [of tax reforms], total relief in the next year will amount…

ZAGREB, July 26, 2019 - A commemoration was held at the Defence Ministry on Friday for Josip Briški, a Croatian sergeant killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, with a minute's silence and speeches by President and Armed Forces Supreme Commander Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Defence Minister Damir Krstičević, and Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff General Mirko Šundov. The president said Briški "chose the toughest path. He dedicated his life to serving Croatia, ready to defend the homeland anywhere... Every day of his service confirmed loyalty to the homeland, his human kindness. In Afghanistan, he offered people a trace of hope in a better future. A…

ZAGREB, July 26, 2019 - A coffin with the body of Josip Briški, the Croatian soldier killed in a terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, arrived at Zagreb's airport aboard a NATO plane on Friday morning, where it was welcomed with the highest military and state honours. The US plane left Bagram, Afghanistan during the night and was seen off by the commander of NATO's Resolute Support mission, General Austin Scott Miller, whereby the highest honour was shown Briški, the Croatian Defence Ministry said. Present at Zagreb's Franjo Tuđman Airport were Briški's family, President and Armed Forces Supreme…

ZAGREB, July 26, 2019 - Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović is travelling to Israel on Sunday for a state visit during which she will meet with her host, President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein and Foreign Minister Israel Katz for talks on many topics of common interest, from the economy to cooperation in security and defence. This will be the first state visit by a Croatian president to Israel and is an indicator of the continuation of the partnership between the two countries as well as of Croatia's strategic commitment to a close cooperation with this,…